Takeharu Kunimoto leads the cast of the Lincoln Center Festival production of Pacific Overtures, which plays Avery Fisher Hall July 9 through July 13. Kunimoto portrays several roles, those of Reciter, Shogun and Emperor.

Takeharu Kunimoto leads the cast of the Lincoln Center Festival production of Pacific Overtures, which plays Avery Fisher Hall July 9 through July 13. Kunimoto portrays several roles, those of Reciter, Shogun and Emperor.

Lincoln Center's annual three-week event features this acclaimed production of the 1976 Stephen Sondheim musical, which comes to New York after its world premiere at Tokyo's New National Theatre. Amon Miyamoto directs an all-Japanese company, who will also play the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theatre Sept. 3-Sept. 8.

In the program notes, director Miyamoto explains, "Pacific Overtures was a great experiment to be added to Broadway because the play explored the new possibility of musical theatre as a form of cultural exploration. In October 2000 the first production of Pacific Overtures was performed in Japan by New National Theatre, Tokyo. It was staged not in a decorative Kabuki style, but rather in Noh style. A simple setting encourages the imaginative ability of the audience. I believe this is one of the most privileged aspects of stage performances."

Lincoln Center Festival director Nigel Redden also comments in the show's program, "Experiencing this [Pacific Overtures] revival in the reconfigured setting of Avery Fisher Hall allows audience members to see this musical with fresh eyes. The hall contains a 60-foot hanamichi (a walkway extending down the center of the hall) symbolizing the world outside of Japan and specifically Perry's encroaching fleet. This dramatic change of scenery enhances the audience's ability to see the play from a Japanese rather than an American perspective and therefore gives the musical a different life than it had on Broadway over 25 years ago." The artist responsible for the dramatic set is set designer Rumi Matsui. The creative team also includes Kosuke Yamashita (music director), Jun Nishino (conductor), Kunihiko Hashimoto (translator/book and lyrics), Yasutaka Nakayama (lighting designer), Emi Wada (costume designer), Kunio Watanabe (sound designer), Rino Masaki (choreographer), Takanori Yamamoto (chorus master), Akinori Tani (fight scene coordinator) and Kazumi Ito (assistant director).

Pacific Overtures debuted at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre on January 11, 1976, and ran for 193 performances. Originally directed by Hal Prince, the work features a book by John Weidman and additional material by Hugh Wheeler.
Pacific Overtures was voted Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics' Circle and also earned nine Tony nominations, winning two: Best Costume Design (Florence Klotz) and Best Scenic Design (Boris Aronson). Sondheim's score includes "The Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea," "There Is No Other Way," "Four Black Dragons," "Chrysanthemum Tea," "Poems," "Welcome to Kanagawa," "Someone in a Tree," "Lion Dance," "Please Hello," "A Bowler Hat," "Pretty Lady" and "Next."
The annual Lincoln Center Festival comprises theatre, dance and opera productions, ranging from traditional presentations to performance-art pieces. The Festival began in 1996, and this year's offerings — a complete itinerary will be announced shortly — also include a music-theatre piece from Iran entitled Ta'ziyeh. Tickets can be purchased through CenterCharge at (212) 721-6500.

The 72-year-old Sondheim is currently being celebrated in Washington, D.C., with productions of six of his classic musicals—Company, A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park With George, Merrily We Roll Along, Passion and Sweeney Todd.